A man with blonde hair sat inside a tent, his eyes closed and his expression dull.

He wore a luxurious suit, and sat with his hand holding up his chin as his elbow rested on the nightstand beside him.

Standing across the room, staring at this man, was a woman.

This dark skinned woman wore a flexible set of leather armor and carried a bronze bow on her back. Her hair was tied up into a bun and then draped down from it, and she looked at the man before her with a strange glare.

The man's mouth opened ever so slightly, and his hand began to tremble as if he was witnessing something horrible.

The man opened his eyes, looking over to see the woman, who was glaring at him.

"Is something wrong?", she asked.

"Ah.... nothing. Don't worry about it. Ah.... it looks like the hero is making his way towards us alone. It seems that our plan has been successful. His men have split into two forces and are currently heading towards the two villages which each legion has been sent to."

"So we will face him head on, and he will have no outside assistance?"

"Exactly."

Standing up, the man exited the tent, and the woman followed.

This man was Oscar, the Indeterminant- the man who held the power to make reality itself a facade.

The woman was Risa Saheed, the hero of the Asarith Sultinate.

With the intent to face Kyle Ruthobold, the man who held the title of hero yet wielded his power in unheroic manner, these two set off.

As they exited into the encampment, they saw another man.

This man wore a bronze suit of armor, and carried an enormous greatsword on his back.

This man was Troy Ladia- the hero of the Vythguard Empire.

He was currently giving orders to the men around him, and they rushed back and forth from one place to another at his command.

Oscar and Risa approached this man with serious expressions.

"The time has come.", Oscar stated.

And with a quick nod, the three disappeared.

----

Moments earlier:

Oscar was sitting peacefully in his tent alongside Risa, when something happened.

Something overcame him.

His mind was placed into a strange state of consciousness, and before him he witnessed a woman.

It was a shadowy figure, without form.

She held a horribly evil grin, and the dark mist and tar which composed her was blurred in the sight of Oscar.

It was then that the voices attacked him.

Female voices.

Some with wicked and corrupt tone, others with beautiful and soothing sound, and other still were the desperate cries of a hopeful yet concerned young girl.

"I want to save everyone!!"

"What are you!? What are you doing with me!?"

"Silence, insect. You are in my way."

"You will die in the most humiliating way possible, scum. This much.... has already been determined."

"Hahaha..... it is fun to watch the insects suffer."

"How could you do this!?!? How.... how could such evil exist within me?"

"I am here to save everyone."

"Bow down before me as my slaves."

"If you disobey my law.... then I will slaughter each and every one of you."

"Why would you ask me such a thing... what am I?"

"I don't even know the answer to that question myself."

"The Hosts of Sin? Hahaha.... so they are beings of evil?"

"Perhaps I should make them into my slaves."

"I will create a world where the number of people who are saved.... is maximized."

"If I need to become a demon, I will do so...."

"I will eliminate all scum from this world."

"All who are like that man.... must die."

"I will kill him with my own two hands."

"I will make him suffer..."

"I will slaughter him."

The shadowy figure's smile seemed to deepen, and Oscar could swear that he heard a malicious laughter.

"I will take everything from him..... the Indeterminant."

"After all, I am both an angel and a demon. I can make your life heaven or hell..... but either way, first you have to die."

----

Oscar woke from this state to see Risa in front of him, and could not stop his own hand from trembling.

Sweat flowed down his skin, and it took everything within him to regain his composure.

'What.... was that?'

It was then that it hit Oscar.

'Could that have been..... the Queen of Demons?'

Oscar quickly came to his senses, however these thoughts permeated his mind.

He could not shake the terror which he felt as he came face to face with.... whatever that was.

'So she is after me..... ha.....hahaha..... how interesting.....'

Oscar's heart was filled with terror, yet that terror was quickly overcome by a different emotion.

'And just when I found a girl here to play with for a while, another one seems to be making her way into my heart.....'

Using every muscle in his mouth, he kept a straight face, holding back a malicious grin.

'Just wait, queen of demons..... I will conquer you. You believe you can kill me? I will deal with you later..... hahaha.... when I am finished with this one, I am coming after your heart as well.... and once you are obsessed with me... I will kill you myself.'

As Oscar traveled quickly through the plains with the two heroes, he could not keep his own excitement at bay.

His hand trembled still, but no longer was it from terror.

'So many women..... so little time. I want them all, and yet even I cannot have them all..... yet.'

----

Kyle Ruthobold made his way through the plains, having left his horse behind to run on foot.

After all, as a hero, relying on a horse would only slow him down.

The men had split into two units, each going to the right and to the left, while Kyle continued on a path straight forward.

'There are two heroes ahead. So they think they have ensnared me? The Indeterminant left for the Empire the last time I saw him. He's a cunning one, I will give him that much.'

Rushing forward, Kyle disappeared from the landscape, traveling miles in mere seconds.

'The legions were merely decoys. They wish to kill me first and then take over this Kingdom. Fine then. I will meet your challenge. Your heroes are newly awakened. They do not yet fully understand their powers. I stand a chance right now, but if it were any later I would die for certain.'

Kyle sped forward with excitement.

'I'll show you, Indeterminant. You were wrong to encroach on my lands and harm my people. You call yourself a hero? Hahahaha..... as if. You're nothing more than another politician, trying to improve his status.'

----

In mere moments, the two parties who sped across the landscape of the Kingdom met up with one another.

On one side stood Kyle Ruthobold. He wore a set of armor, covering almost his entire body, and on his head he wore a green beanie- a gift from the only people in the world that he cherished more than life itself.

On the other side stood three people. Standing in the back was a man with blonde hair and a fine white suit with purple tie, and in front of him were two people.

The first was a dark skinned woman who carried a bronze bow which she had drawn, dressed in leather armor. This woman glared straight into Kyle with suspicion, staring at him as if he were a monster.

Next to her stood a man with a serious expression. He wore the armor of a legionnaire, and carried a massive greatsword, which he unsheathed from his back, holding it in both of his hands.

Despite the massive size of the sword, he wielded it with ease.

"It would seem that you have been quite busy, haven't you.... ex-stepfather. Ever since you abandoned me it looks like you've been planning and plotting in order to erase my existence. Quite unlike a certain father of mine, who was too incompetent to do so."

Kyle spoke bluntly and with vulgarity, however Oscar responded with an elegant smile.

"I am here to destroy the monster which I have created. I failed in raising you. While that failure can never be erased, it is my duty to at least prevent you from harming the people of this Kingdom any further."

"So that is the story you have spun? That I am a threat to the people of the Kingdom? When I was instead trying to save them from the corruption spun into the very system that ruled their lives?"

The two faced one another with serious expression, battling with words.

"Then, what can you say of Percius IV, who you killed in cold blood?"

The one who butted in was Troy Ladia.

He held his greatsword firmly, staring Kyle directly in the eyes.

"So you are the hero of the Empire? Hahaha.... it looks like this man has brainwashed you well. Just as that Emperor did. He was an evil man, who held the lowest among his society with no regard. He viewed those below him as nothing more than scum which needed to be removed. Therefore.... I removed his head from his body."

Troy's eyes went wide as Kyle stated this, and he stepped forward to attack.

"Why you...."

"I can read your intent."

Kyle quickly dodged the vertical arc which Troy's sword drew in the air, and the blow shook the very ground as it struck the earth.

Drawing his sword as well, Kyle prepared himself for battle.

"And what of you? Are you the hero of the Sultinate? Tell me, why are you here?", Kyle asked in casual manner as Troy rushed forth, taking a horizontal swing which whiffed the armor of his opponent.

The woman glared at Kyle, letting go of an arrow before nocking another.

The arrow pierced through the air, gaining magical energy as it flew and thus increasing it's speed and power.

This arrow hit Kyle square in the side, and he didn't have enough time to dodge as he had just jumped back from Troy's swing.

"I am here because I can help my people by doing so."

[Kyle Ruthobold: HP: 492,000/500,000]

"Do you believe me to be evil?", Kyle asked- not phased in the least by the arrow which exploded in his side.

"I have heard of your deeds.", Risa responded. "And I think you're a piece of shit if you try to say anything other than that. What else could you be but evil?"

"Fair enough."

Kyle grinned, bending down on all fours before thrusting forward at Troy.

His thrust was quickly blocked by the greatsword, and Troy smacked Kyle's hand away with the blunt end of the weapon.

At this, Kyle rolled away to avoid being hit dead on with the incoming blade, just barely dodging by a hair.

[Troy Ladia: HP: 199,000/200,000]

"What do you think, Indeterminant? Of the debates which we witnessed between the noble factions of the Kingdom?"

As Kyle spoke, Troy began to rush him, and the two were engaged in a heated swordfight. Risa drew her bow and rushed around, trying to get a good angle, and releasing an arrow whenever she did.

Blows were exchanged, and heavy hits were landed on both sides of the exchange. Most of the time, Kyle would dodge the arrows, but every once in a while Risa would score a dead hit.

"What do I think? I of course support the bettering of the situations of all people, and the prevention of suffering. Isn't that what the savior of humanity should prioritize?"

Oscar watched the heated battle from afar, speaking his thoughts to Kyle as the three fought.

"I believe I taught such a thing to you.... yet for some reason you did not absorb such teachings. I wonder where I went wrong?"

"Do you wanna know what I think?"

[Kyle Ruthobold: HP: 450,000/500,000]

[Troy Ladia: HP: 185,000/200,000]

"You sure talk a whole lot.", Risa said in annoyance as she let a multitude of arrows fly, bombarding Kyle.

"I think that neither side was right!! One side tried to increase the burden on the people because of fear of losing their own assets, and desiring personal gain for themselves. The other side was trying to remain in the favor of the people, granting them a better political position. Either way.... they were only focusing on themselves."

Kyle caught the greatsword of Troy in his hand, stopping the massive blade with ease.

Dropping his own sword, he rushed over and grabbed the head of Troy, slamming him to the ground.

"Ugh!!"

[Troy Ladia: HP: 150,000/200,000]

Risa did not flinch as she watched her own comrade fall to the ground, but instead she continued pelting the now exposed Kyle with arrows.

Kyle ripped the sword out of the hand of Troy, throwing it to the side.

Even while under the constant attacks of Risa, he did not so much as try to dodge. He took the attacks head on as he stepped on the man below him.

"You are untrained and unrefined. Do you call yourself a hero?"

Kyle stomped on the man, smashing him into the ground which reverberated with the blow.

[Troy Ladia: HP: 100,000/200,000]

[Kyle Ruthobold: HP: 350,000/500,000]

The air itself became filled with power, and shockwaves were sent flying throughout the atmosphere.

An earthquake erupted from the location of the stomp, tearing up the very land below them.

[/restore]

However, this earthquake closed up as soon as it formed.

"Troy! Stand up!!! I'm right behind you to help!!", Oscar shouted.

"Get the fuck up you suspicious swordsman!! I have to get a word in with you later, so don't just die here!!"

Risa continued running around Kyle, unleashing as many arrows as she could while Oscar used his world building commands to keep the situation under control.

"And just as I believe that neither side was right in that fight..... I don't feel that either of us are right here."

Kyle brought down his foot once more to shake the earth, smashing it into Troy's chest.

However this time, the foot was caught.

"Enough."

Gripping Kyle's leg with immense power, concentrated in his own hands, Troy threw the man to the side with immense speeds.

Kyle was sent flying, bouncing across the landscape and scraping up dust before he finally came to a landing, hundreds of feet away.

"HAHAHA!!!! What the hell!?!?", Kyle shouted as he stood up.

Troy stood up, prepared to fight.

The glare of death was in his eyes.

He was now ready to kill.

[Kyle Ruthobold: HP: 302,000/500,000]

"I'm..... getting used to this strength.", Troy whispered.

As Kyle walked forward, he dusted off his shoulders and fixed his crooked hat.

The boy before them was now covered in grime and dirt, as well as some blood.

He was filthy.

"It looks like you two are improving as we fight. I had better hurry-"

Kyle's words were interrupted by a barrage of enhanced magical arrows which exploded with immense firepower.

An explosion with a radius of dozens of feet covered the landscape.

"I was waiting for you to get far away so that I could let everything loose.", Risa stated.

Soon the ball of energy dissipated, revealing the charred figure of Kyle Ruthobold.

His hat was burned to a crisp, and his armor was melted.

He looked forward with rage and annoyance.

"I see..... I took you two too lightly."

In an instant, Kyle rushed forward, appearing behind Risa.

"Then, I'll take you out first."

However, Risa was faster.

"Did you just try to outmaneuver a rogue?"

Appearing behind Kyle, she chopped his neck, causing him to spit blood as he fell forward.

Looking back with disgust, Kyle spit out in rage.

"Do you really believe you are on the side of justice??? Hahaha..... do you really trust the Indeterminant to that extent?"

However, as Kyle said this, a greatsword came down upon him.

Once more the earth shook, and Kyle was pressed down with the massive weight of the blade that drew a line of energy which bursted forth.

[/restore]

At Oscar's command, the earth around quickly reverted to it's undisturbed state, yet below the sword of Troy Kyle laid on his stomach, breathless.

"Do you see death right now?", Troy asked.

"I..... see death.", Kyle responded.

Troy looked down at Kyle, raising up his sword.

"That is fine. So long as you see death, that is enough. You will be released from this world for what you have done to the Emperor, and to those around you. However, let me tell you one last thing."

Troy stuck his blade into the ground, glaring intensely at Kyle.

"The reason you lost to us is not because there were two heroes vs one."

Kyle looked up in surprise.

"Aren't you just gloating? Are you saying you could have beaten me on your own?", he croaked.

Troy nodded his head no, closing his eyes as he turned his back to the dying man.

"The reason you lost to me is because you have never seen anything worse than death."

----

[Kyle Ruthobold: HP: 500/500,000]

Right now, Kyle witnessed his life flashing before his eyes.

The smiling faces of his mothers.

The customers that he once waved to, while cleaning the rooms.

The people who had been kind to him, helping him in everything.

The people he had lied to.

The people he had deceived.

The people he had killed.

"Was I..... wrong?"

Kyle felt tears welling up in his eyes.

"Was I wrong... to do such things?"

Nodding his head, he remembered the evil glare given to him by his father.

He remembered the sinister words and haughty statements of those nobles.

He felt no regret for making their lives into a hell.

"Then.... was I right? Was I right to come and fight these people head on? Or should I have stayed back and formed a plan?"

Kyle was left to wonder this as his life faded away.

"No..... no....."

He remembered the people under attack, and the soldiers he had sent to the villages.

Would they all die if he died here?

"I.... can't die..... I.... have to.... save them...."

Kyle tried to sit up, but could not.

He was too weak.

"Wait..... heroes..... who have killed me....."

Troy and Risa watched with disturbance, viewing the last death throes of a man who they considered to be evil.

"What is it?"

"Protect..... them..... my people....."

"I only came here to protect my people.", Risa responded while turning away. "But I have no intention to allow your people to die. That is why I assisted in killing you."

"I can assure you that under the Emperor, your people will be treated fairly, and as citizens of our Empire. You don't need to worry about that."

Falling to the ground, Kyle let out his last breath.

'Mothers.... will you be alright without me?'

With this thought, he died.

----

Troy Ladia, after fighting Kyle Ruthobold, came to a realization.

'That man..... was not evil. He was demented.... he was distorted.... but he was not... what I expected him to be.'

Troy had been injured, and was covered in his own blood after taking repeated blows from Kyle.

Troy held a great amount of enmity for the man who had just vigorously fought him.

Yet he sensed something in those final moments.

A longing.

'Perhaps.... he was not as foregone as I thought.'

It was then that a number of thoughts crept into Troy's mind.

What was he doing?

Why was he here?

For what reason had he come on this campaign?

More importantly.... who was he loyal to?

'I..... owe the antiheroes a debt..... but are they not monsters who are trying to destroy our nations?'

These thoughts slithered into the mind of Troy, and he remembered the demonic faces of those monsters.

As he did so, he was frozen with fear.

'Is Oraguth.... someone I can truly trust?'

Because of Oraguth, Troy had made it to where he was.

But was he not just a monster?

The more Troy thought about it, the more dangerous the knowledge he carried was.

There was a nation of monsters out there, preparing to attack the human realm.

What was he even doing?

Here he was, on a campaign to expand the lands of the Empire into the Kingdom.

He had now slain the hero of the Kingdom, who was anything but heroic in life.

And yet, he felt empty.

He felt like he had not achieved anything.

As a matter of fact, he felt a hole within him.

He felt as if something was now missing. A vital piece of him.

[Notice: One of the four heroes has died]

[Notice: The status of the hero cannot be altered by the Indeterminant, therefore revival is not possible]

[Notice: The uniting of all four heroes has now become impossible, due to the death of this hero.]

[Hidden ability has been permanently locked, as conditions will never be fulfilled]

[Power of Friendship: Allows you to win against evil, always. So long as you and your comrades are united, it is impossible for a future to come about where you lose to anyone- no matter how powerful they are, or what fate breaking abilities they hold]

[This skill is no longer accessible]

As Troy watched this message, he realized exactly what this meant.

His eyes went wide.

Risa too saw the message, yet she shrugged her shoulders.

She had no intention to trust the other heroes, and had never seen the antiheroes or the monsters the heroes were destined to face.

She did not understand the magnitude of their power, and the mind boggling strength which would be required to defeat them.

It was at that moment, that Troy looked to the two before him.

'What.... is Oraguth doing right now? Was this.... was this all part of his plan? Was this all part of the plan of the antiheroes? To render us..... powerless before them?'

Holding his breath, Troy contemplated whether he should tell the two before him of his knowledge, as they did not seem concerned in the least, throwing aside the message as a mere technicality.

'Hahaha..... we..... are fucked.'